رَأَينَ الغَواني الشَيبَ لاحَ بِعارِضي

رَأَينَ الغَواني الشَيبَ لاحَ بِعارِضي

فَأَعرَضنَ عَنّي بِالخُدودِ النَواضِرِ

فَأَعرَضنَ عَنّي بِالخُدودِ النَواضِرِ

The lovely women saw gray hair gleaming on my cheek,

The flirts saw the gray hair appear on my temple

So they turned their radiant cheeks away from me.

So they turned away from me with bright, rosy cheeks

وَكُنَّ إِذا أَبصَرنَني أَو سَمِعنَني

وَكُنَّ إِذا أَبصَرنَني أَو سَمِعنَني

سَعَينَ فَرَقَّعنَ الكُوى بِالمَحاجِرِ

سَعَينَ فَرَقَّعنَ الكُوى بِالمَحاجِرِ

Yet once, whenever they saw me or heard me,

And whenever they caught sight of me or heard me

They hurried, then patched the window openings with their eyes.

They hurried to block their paths with rocks

فَإِن جَمَحَت عَنّي نَواظِرُ أَعيُنٍ

فَإِن جَمَحَت عَنّي نَواظِرُ أَعيُنٍ

رَمينَ بَأَحداقِ المَها وَالجَآذِرِ

رَمينَ بَأَحداقِ المَها وَالجَآذِرِ

So if the pupils of eyes have shied away from me—

So if the gazes of eyes frown at me

Eyes that shot glances with the pupils of oryx and wild-ox calves—

They pelt me with the arrows of blames and insults

فَإِنِّيَ مِن قَومٍ كَريمٍ نِجارُهُم

فَإِنِّيَ مِن قَومٍ كَريمٍ نِجارُهُم

لِأَقدامِهِم صيغَت رُؤوسُ المَنابِرِ

لِأَقدامِهِم صيغَت رُؤوسُ المَنابِرِ

Then I am of a people whose lineage is noble:

But I am from a noble people whose glory

The tops of pulpits were fashioned for their feet.

Has reached the highest summits and most lofty peaks